


Naked Eyes

by Doxa1



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, F/M, Season/Series 07, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2020-05-12 12:11:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19228894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doxa1/pseuds/Doxa1
Summary: This is story is about the development of the union of Ice and Fire, but seen through the eyes of Varys, Gilly, Theon, Sansa, Davos, Arya, Missandei and Greyworm





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A big "THANK YOU" to reader Edelweiss_Bluebell. If it weren't for her, this story would have been lost to me forever. I deleted it with my old account. It's canon compliant and then divergent and my take on some of the other characters see in Jon and Daenerys fall in love. If this isn't for you and you want something post season 8, then please check out my other story: So What Now?

  
  


**THE SPIDER**

 

Very few things surprised him anymore. He had seen so many evil things in this world, but it didn't matter because hope needed to be kept alive. For the sake of the realm.

Jon Snow had bent the knee to Daenerys and the Queen had somehow forgotten to disclose that very little detail to any of her close advisors including Missandei. That piece of information would have gone a long way. Well everything was fucked now unless Tyrion managed to convince Cersei otherwise. He wasn't holding his breath.

When he had worked to depose the Mad King, he didn't know that Rhaegar's life would be the price. Rhaegar would have made a great king. Ned Stark would have been a far better option than Robert. The fat fool.

After all the Seven Kingdoms had suffered in the past eight years, they needed a reprieve.

Daenerys Targaryen was their salvation. That name carried power. It was bigger than just one person. It was a legacy. She had been moulded by the hardships that she had been through and refined by fire. Many men would have been broken in her place, but not her. She was the dark horse in the race for the throne. With the right council, she could imprint her name as one of the greatest monarchs to ever rule. Already, her legend was sealed in Essos. If there was one person who could change the course of Westeros, it was the Dragon Queen.

He let out a frustrated sigh and squinted at the sun. He wondered if Tyrion's head was still on his body. The Lannisters had brought a lot of misery to this country so killing Tyrion would be mild in comparison.

His sharp eyes saw everything that was happening in the Dragonpit. Ser Jorah was engaged in a discussion with Theon Greyjoy, Ser Davos and Lady Brienne, but ever so often, his eyes would stray to the the Dragon Queen. Who could blame him? She was almost mythical.

His eyes travelled to the Dragon Queen then. She was deep in discussion with Missandei.

Varys had to laugh when he saw her eyes search for Jon Snow. This had become a recurring thing. When they thought that no one else was looking, they would steal glances at each other. It was always ironic to him that the titles which were supposed to give them the greatest freedom were the things that held them back from pursuing what their hearts truly wanted.

Not anymore, apparently. Whatever secret language they had formed had been mastered after Jon's brush with death.

Jon had intrigued his queen from the moment he'd stepped foot on the island. What was it the Red Priestess had said again? Ice and Fire? How apt.

Daenerys Targaryen's wrath was a frightening thing. It wasn't that he thought her mad, but with that much power, he was cautious especially after serving under her father. Jon's calmness had been a much needed blessing. It had a cooling effect on her. He knew how to talk her out of her worst impulses even better than Tyrion and Tyrion Lannister could talk his way around almost anything.

He challenged her.

His little birds had given him reports of her progress over the years. He knew her heart was in the right place. He also knew that she wouldn't hesitate to destroy anyone that opposed her. Sometimes, she was either too soft to compensate for being too hard or too hard to compensate for being too soft. It was in trying to find the right balance that she had made the mistakes that she had in Essos. Her experience had toughened her up and given her no cause to view men in power as anything other than ants to trample on if need be.

Jon wasn't like any other man in power that she had ever met. He was self-deprecating, humble, painfully honest and unyielding to what he believed was right. He respected her for who she was and not for her titles or her beauty, even though Varys knew that he admired her beauty. It wasn't hard to see why she had fallen in love with him. He had nothing against the man, but love wasn't something that she could afford. Not right now.

The last time someone in her position of power had fallen in love, thousands had died. The general rumour was that Rhaegar had kidnapped Lyanna, but he knew that it was a lie propagated by Robert to smear the already tarnished name of House Targaryen.

He had seen that tragedy play out. It all started because Lyanna wasn't like any woman that Rhaegar had ever met. Not so different from his queen and her northern ally.

Truthfully, he would make the perfect consort, but the Dragon Queen couldn't bear children and that was a problem. He and Tyrion had been talking about succession for some time now. They had yet to come to any meaningful conclusion.

He rubbed the side of his head that ached.

He thought back to the last time the line of succession had been unresolved. The War of The Five Kings had left it's stain on the history of this kingdom. His mind went, unbridled, to the time that Ned lost his head. One of Varys' many mistakes in his attempt to help. Sometimes, he wished that he could forget.

His eyes followed the Dragon Queen who had left Missandei and was now walking towards Jon Snow. He watched her stop a few paces from him. Whatever she was telling him had her reach out her hand for something that was in his hand. He saw them walk until they had stolen away into a section of the Dragonpit that could accord them a little privacy. This was becoming a habit for them; they would create a cocoon that could accommodate just the two of them. They were never this obvious in the past, but since Jon had come back from beyond the Wall, he was a different man. At every chance he got, he would steal away with her to a quiet spot. There was always a quiet spot and if there wasn't, Jon made sure to create one.

He watched Jon box her in and then step into her until he was as close as he could be to her without it being indecent. Subtle.

Whatever they were talking about had melted that icy persona. Ice had melted fire. It didn't make sense and neither did this budding thing between Jon and Daenerys.

He wanted to be happy for them, but more often than not, love was destructive. He hoped that the flames of this new one would fan out quickly.  


 

  
**GILLY**  
Winterfell was abuzz with feverish excitement; a sort of nervous energy. The normal hustle and bustle on the grounds had blown into a flurry of many activities. The King In The North and his new ally, the Dragon Queen were coming to Winterfell.

She couldn't believe that Jon was now a king. She'd known him when he was first a mere Crow and then later, the Lord Commander. She had never been close to him, but he was always kind to her and Little Sam and he was Samwell's most trusted friend. So many things had happened since she last saw him.

The closer the he and his ally were to getting to Winterfell, the busier everyone got.

Everywhere she went, be it the kitchen area or the stables or the training grounds, whispers of the Dragon Queen spread like wildfire. There was some fear about some people called the Dof'raki and she had even overheard Lady Sansa express some displeasure at how many more mouths she had to feed, but she carried on about her duties as efficiently as any lady would. Not that she knew that many ladies.

So many people were skeptical about the dragons and there was a lot of suspicion and anxiety about the Mad King's daughter. She had asked Sam why they called her that and he told her what he knew about some rebellion. When he spoke of the losing side, he looked uncomfortable and bumbled past that part of the story. She loved Sam, but he could be a bit strange sometimes. If she knew him, and she had come to know him very well, it meant that there was something he wasn't telling her, but she waved it aside as unimportant. She trusted him with her life and with her son's...their son's life. In due time, he would speak up.

As Little Sam babbled away happily and continued to bother a very patient Ghost, her thoughts travelled back to the Dragon Queen. She was curious. Unlike most of the people in the castle, she believed the talk of dragons. With the things that she had seen and survived beyond the wall, she couldn't afford to be an unbeliever in these matters. The legends were true.

It was said that dragons were terrifying gigantic creatures that made mammoths look like small hounds. That was impressive. Even more impressive was someone who could control three.

Maybe the Dragon Queen might be as mad and untrustworthy as her father, but she had her doubts. These nobles would turn their noses up at anything and anyone that was different from them. She trusted Sam and Sam trusted Jon and if Jon trusted this new ally, then that was good enough for her. More to the matter, she was Maester Aemon's last living kin.

She got distracted from her inner musings when Ghost growled and playfully snapped his teeth at Little Sam who couldn't stop giggling.

This was what the fight against the Army of The Dead was about. A fight for life and for humanity. If this Queen were indeed an ally, then she was thankful to the gods for her.

  
**Six Days Later**

"OPEN THE GATES! THE KING HAS ARRIVED!" a soldier heralded.

The day had finally come. At Sam's insistence, she was lined up with the rest of the noble folk to greet the King and his royal guest. She would rather be anywhere else.

At the head of the procession were Jon and a woman who could only be Queen Daenerys. The whole yard grew quiet as they all went on their knees.

Gilly couldn't take her eyes off the Dragon Queen. Thankfully, she was far enough that Gilly didn't have to interact with her.

Her eyes went to Jon who usually had on a serious expression on his face, but he looked...relaxed? That couldn't be right. He had constantly written letters to Sam and every letter of his that Sam had read to her sounded very urgent: The Night King and his army were on their way to destroy all life and they needed to act as quickly as possible. This Jon looked a lot happier than she remembered. Maybe it had to do with him now being king and leaving the constant nagging and jeering of Ser Alliser Thorne and that craven, Lord Janos Slynt.

As he hugged Lady Sansa and the introductions went underway, she glanced back at the woman who stood beside Jon. She appeared different from the rest of them somehow.

She was, in a few words, very beautiful.

So this was the Mother of Dragons. With her white fur coat, silver hair knotted in complicated braids and pale milky skin, she looked like she belonged in the snow. Even though she was surrounded by copper-skinned men that were almost twice her size, she looked every bit the formidable ally or foe that she was rumoured to be. Quite honestly, she was intimidating.

Suddenly self-conscious, Gilly tugged at her plain gown. She felt out of place amidst the royal and noble folk. She had a fancy gown once. Her mind soured when she remembered her very unpleasant experience at Horn Hill. She rarely wished anymore that she was born on the right side of the Wall, but today, if she could will it to be so, she would have. She couldn't wait to leave this gathering to the comfort of the quarters that had been assigned to Sam and their family.

She'd seen the way some of the Northerners looked at her. It was the same way some of the Brothers at the Wall had looked at her and it was the same way that Lord Tarly had looked at her; like she was beneath them. Not all of them were like that, some were very kind much like Lady Tarly and Lady Arya and Lady Sansa, but she could do without any disdain at the moment. This Queen might be here to save them, but for all Gilly knew, she was like most of the people that she had met on this side of the Wall.

She looked around her and saw the gawking of many of the castle's inhabitants and workers and even a few hostile stares directed at the Dragon Queen from some of the older lords.

Murmurs of dragons or lack of dragons thereof were whispered here and there.

With the introductions done, Jon mentioned that they all needed to gather in the Great Hall for a meeting.

The next thing that happened was something that Gilly would never forget for as long as she lived. The sound she heard made her quake with fear. It made her want to run and hide. She looked up and in the sky, she saw two great beasts circle the castle. Dragons!

They were all going to die.

Then she saw the Dragon Queen stride past her company and go beyond the walls of the castle. Most people were to afraid to follow suit despite their curiosity so they craned their necks and strained their eyes for whatever glimpses they could catch of these wondrous beasts and their mother.

The Northern lords were all quiet now and they looked like how she felt. Afraid and in awe.

  
Winterfell was about to become a lot more than she had bargained for.

  
**A Few Days Later**

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here."

"That's alright," Gilly said as she stood up from the rocking chair. For the first time since they arrived, she stood face-to-face with the Dragon Queen. Beside her was a beautiful dark-skinned woman and some of the queen's guards.

"You're Gilly," the Dragon Queen said, "Sam's wife."

Gilly shrugged. According to the traditions in the Seven Kingdoms, she wasn't. But beyond the Wall, their union was as valid as any marriage. She didn't know the right answer to give nor did she know the right way to talk to a queen.

"I'll leave you to it then," Queen Daenerys said. She started leaving, but then she stopped when Little Sam woke up crying.

Gilly turned and attended to her son who didn't want to be put down now that he had seen the strangers. She looked at the queen whose attention was now on Sam.

She looked like she wanted to hold him.

Unsure of what to do or say, Gilly awkwardly thrust Little Sam in her direction. Startled and wide-eyed, the Dragon Queen hesitated and then took him into her arms.

A small smile played on Gilly's face as she watched the scene before her. All of a sudden, the Queen didn't look so intimidating. She cooed at Sam whose shyness was no longer anywhere to be found. He reached out and began pulling at her brooch.

"No, sweetling," Queen Daenerys gently chided and then kissed his little knuckles, "if you take that off, I'm afraid I won't be able to scare the Northern lords anymore," she joked.  
"Maester Aemon," Gilly blurted out.

"What?"

  
"I knew an old man named Maester Aemon. He was your kin. He was very good to me and Little Sam," Gilly told her.

Her face wore a pained look for a fleeting moment and then she smiled at Gilly.  
"King Jon told me about him on our way here. I wish I had met him."

At that, Gilly asked her if she would like to hear some more about him and at the queen's request, they talked about Maester Aemon and other things for what might have been hours.

That night, before she slept off, Gilly found herself thinking of the Dragon Queen. She was a lot different than she had expected. A whole lot warmer than she appeared. She was very easy to talk to.

  
She felt a pang in her chest just then. She remembered Princess Shireen and her patience while teaching her how to read. She was the last female companion she had had. She missed her. She missed her sisters and her mothers. She wondered where they were. If they were alive.

  
Willfully steering her mind away from sad thoughts, she looked at her son lying beside her and caressed his hair.  
  
I will give you the best life that I can, she vowed fiercely and silently.

They would fight to live and they would win. Queen Daenerys had said so with a conviction that was impossible not to share.

They would meet again tomorrow to talk some more. A surprising and welcome turn of events that she was looking forward to.  
  
  
**The Old Building**

She loved the peace and quiet that this run down building provided. There was a window that overlooked the far extreme of the castle grounds. Not many people came here. As much as she loved her son and his father, she needed some time to herself. Sam had been in a sullen mood since he'd learned of the deaths of his father and brother. They had fought against the Dragon Queen and they had died. Good. Randyll Tarly's death was one less evil in this world. Dickon might not have been as bad as his father, but he had stood passively and watched as Lord Tarly had shamed Samwell. She wasn't sorry that he was dead too.

  
As she was about to sit down on the cloak she'd laid on the floor, something caught her eye. She drew closer to the window and saw Jon and Queen Daenerys taking a walk. They did this a lot. Especially after a heated meeting with the lords and their advisors. Usually they walked with their guards, but today, it was just both of them and Ghost and they were headed in the direction of the dragons.

With the growing discontent amongst the Northern lords and the rising ire of the Queen's people, she wondered how many more walks they would need. She was about to turn around when she saw Jon stop and face the queen. And then he took her hand and kissed her palm tenderly.

*Oh? Oh...*

The Dragon Queen lifted her other hand and tucked one of his curls behind his ear. Then he drew her into his arms and pressed a long kiss on her forehead. And her nose. And her mouth.

  
Gilly turned away then. She'd never thought of it before now, but looking back to all their interactions, there was an underlying sense of intimacy there. It was so glaring now.

The world was on the brink of possible destruction and if two people deserved to find comfort in each other, it was the two who would fight the hardest to save the world.  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter explores the events of season seven (and then some) through the eyes of Ser  
> Davos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all! Posting this in my hiatus from 'So What Now?'
> 
> If you haven't read that, please give it a look. It's my post resurrection story. 
> 
> Feedback will be appreciated.

**SER DAVOS**  


  
**Jon Snow**

He liked the lad and he would give his life for him if it ever came to that. Since Jon had come back, he'd been different. More reckless. More purpose-driven; obsessive even. It wasn't obvious until it was time to put his life in danger. He'd never seen anyone who flirted with death the way that his young king did.

  
He grimaced at the thought of Dragonstone. He had lost so much because of his loyalty to  
Stannis, but he wasn't bitter about it. Not at Stannis. He would give anything to bring back his  
son and the Princess, Shireen. But those wishes belonged to a lifetime past. There was nothing in the past for him. He could only look forward to the future. The future meant life and life meant hope. He turned and looked at his king conversing with some of the sailors. Jon was his future now, perhaps the future of mankind, and he would do everything possible to ensure that he lived for as long as he could help it. He wondered about the Dragon Queen. In a few weeks, they would meet with her. He sent a silent prayer to whatever entity that existed beyond them for all of this not to go to shit. He couldn't bear another disappointment on that scale.

  
  
**Dragonstone**

He already missed being on the ship. He spared a glance at Jon. If Jon was afraid or uneasy, he didn't show it.

  
"The bastard of Winterfell," Lord Tyrion said.

  
  
"The dwarf of Casterly Rock," Jon replied in kind.

  
Tyrion and Jon both stared at each for a moment, then broke into a smile. They stepped forward and shook hands.

  
  
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, he thought.

 

Of course not.

  
  
The Dothraki were already collecting their weapons. If they killed them now, at least he would die staring and the beautiful Missandei of Naath. The Dragon Queen's retinue was an amalgamation of different types of people. It further deepened his curiosity and trepidation about a person who could bend the Dothraki to her will.

  
  
As they ascended the long and winding stairwell, a roar-like screech sounded overhead and in fear, he and Jon dropped to the ground. Davos and Jon looked at each other in astonishment. Davos looked back to Missandei who is still standing and smiling. Tyrion walked over and helped Jon up to his feet.

  
  
He looked up in wonder as three mythical creatures circled the ancient Targaryen keep. He prayed harder that they made it out of here alive.

  
  
With each step closer to the castle, his anticipation grew.

  
  
The great doors of the throne room were opened and they walked in.

 

 _Oh my_ , he thought.

  
  
This was the Dragon Queen? Talks of her beauty weren't exaggerated at all. She appeared regal and flawless on that big throne. Surely this wasn't the person who wielded this much power. As his mind was running through thoughts, Missandei ran through the Dragon Queen's litany of titles.

 

  
When she was done, an awkward silence fell in the hall and he and Jon exchanged looks;

 

"This is Jon Snow," Davos paused a moment and added, "He's King In The North."

 

  
He saw Tyrion bite back a smile at that.

 

  
And so it began.

  
  
The second surprise that came since he got here, after the dragons, was when she apologized for her father's crimes. That took him aback. Jon too, judging from his brief moment of silence.

  
  
Everything else that happened, happened in a blur. It was a clash of wills between the two young monarchs. For every argument Daenerys presented, Jon was ready with a counter-argument.

  
  
But the Dragon Queen wasn't letting up. She stepped down from her throne and with each step she took towards them, she counted off every adversary and challenge that she had overcome. That explained all her titles. The closer she got, the more clipped her words became and the more Jon shifted on his feet.

  
  
He would have enjoyed the back and forth if he were a mere spectator and if the stakes weren't this monumental. He might have to step in to Jon's aid soon. Jon was excellent at a great many things, but communication wasn't one of them and if he didn't do something, their journey to Dragonstone would mean fuck all.

  
  
"...You can't expect us to halt hostilities and join you in fighting...whatever you saw beyond the wall," Lord Tyrion said.

  
  
"You don't believe him. I understand that. It sounds like nonsense. But if destiny has brought Daenerys Targaryen back to our shores, it has also made Jon Snow King in the North,"  
He too began to recount all that Jon had achieved. He could see that the more he spoke, the more curious she got and that spurred him on.

 

"...all those hard son's of bitches chose him as their leader because they believe in him..."

 

Now she was looking at Jon intently,

 

"...all those things you don't believe in, he faced those things. He fought those things for the good of his people. He risked his life for his people. He took a knife in the heart for his people. He gave his own --  
...,"

 

At Jon's sharp look, he stopped. He saw the Dragon Queen and Tyrion exchange a look.

  
  
"If we don't put aside our enmities and band together we will die. And then it doesn't matter whose skeleton sits on the Iron Throne."

  
  
"If it doesn't matter you might as well kneel," Tyrion urged. He continued to give them reason why this was the best choice they had.

  
  
He could feel Jon growing impatient.

  
  
"It takes no time to bend the knee. Pledge your sword to her cause...,"

  
"And why would I do that?"

  
  
_For fuck's sake, Jon._

  
  
"I mean no offense, Your Grace, but I don't know you...,"

  
  
As Jon went on to challenge the Dragon Queen's claim, he quickly looked at the big copperskinned men with arakhs and wondered if the last thing he would ever hear was Jon letting  
Daenerys know, in no uncertain terms, that he wasn't bending the knee in exchange for her help.

 

He groaned inwardly. Monarchs. Monarchs would be the death of him.

  
  
They were at an impasse now and from the looks of it, neither was willing to make an adjustment for the other. At least they weren't dead so that counted for something.

  
  
The Spider hurried in soon after and whispered something in the Queen's ear.

  
  
Her face gave nothing away, but she sent them to their quarters for a bath and a warm meal.

 

  
**The Escape Plan**

  
Well, nobody could say that she didn't treat her prisoners right because that is exactly what they were trapped on this Island with no means of defense and nowhere to go.

  
The longer they stayed here with no word from the Dragon Queen, the angrier Jon got and the angrier he got, the less he talked. He understood the young man's frustration. There was nothing pleasant about being idle especially when you bore so many responsibilities. He needed to talk to Lord Tyrion. He had the Dragon Queen's ear. There had to be someway that they could leave.

  
He continued down the path to a garden that he had planted when Stannis was still the warden of this Island. The flowers had grown wild and without restraint, but they were alive. Just like his king.

  
  
From the wild flowers to the dragons that he could see over the sea, they, and everything in between, all deserved a fighting chance.

 

  
He sat down to clear his head so that he could come up with something convincing to tell Tyrion. He was interrupted by one of the Northern soldiers who told him that the King had sent for him.

 

  
**Dragonglass**

  
As he drew closer to the cave, he saw a lot of the Queen's men coming in and going out of the cave. Cautious, he slowed down his pace until Jon called out to him.

  
"Ser, Davos!" the King waved him over.

  
For the first time in weeks, Jon didn't look like he wanted to kill something or someone. His smile was a lot more welcome than his brooding.

  
  
"Your Grace. What is going on?"

  
  
"She's allowing us mine the dragonglass," he said.

  
  
Davos suddenly felt as light as a feather. At last, progress. It wasn't exactly an alliance, but it wasn't enmity either.

  
  
**Cave Paintings**

  
A shout in one of the caves gave away the excitement as some workers gathered around a wall. Word spread and got to them that there were strange carvings on the wall. Hurriedly, he and Jon went on to have a look.

  
Davos had never felt so...minute. For the first time in a very long time, he really felt that he was part of something bigger than himself. Destiny had been at work for thousands of years. He glanced at Jon. Jon took in a deep breath and let out a shaky one. He felt it too. The face that usually gave nothing away was stark with newfound determination.

 

"She has to see this," Jon said.

  
  
Yes, she did. And he, Jon, had to see her.

 

They had been on the Island for Two moons now. Jon and the Dragon Queen had come into some sort of agreement? Truce? He didn't know what to call it, but it was good for everyone involved.

  
  
He was almost always at Jon's side and that meant that he was privy to most of the interactions he had and some of them were with the Queen.

 

She was quite impressive. He would have been blind not to see that Jon thought so too. There was a growing ease between them.

 

It was all still very formal, but he had noticed that the more time she spent with Jon, the fewer the guards that would walk with them. It was almost as if she felt safe with him, but Davos didn't want to get ahead of himself. Not on her part, at least.

  
  
Jon was a different matter entirely. As much as he tried to hide it, he was taken with the young queen. On the surface, they were as far apart as night and day, but from their conversations, she held a lot of the ideals that Jon did. She had freed slaves and conquered slaver cities. Her name was already rooted in Essosi history. He had saved thousands of wildlings, but that was, more or less, a thankless job in comparison.

 

It was obvious to Ser Davos that they enjoyed each others company.

  
  
Every once in a while, he would see Jon stare at her from afar especially when he thought no one would notice. Accomplishments aside, she was possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. If an old man like him could be struck by her beauty, then a more virile man like Jon had to be reinforcing his discipline. He'd never known Jon to take a woman for himself. Not since he'd known the man. He was glad to watch Jon struggle with this. It was evidence that his heart and other body parts were alive again. Davos chuckled to himself at the thought.

  
  
Yes, she had to see this, Davos smiled knowingly.

 

  
**The Cave**

Days later, he found himself standing beside Missandei in the cave where Jon had taken the Queen to an even smaller cave. Alone. He glanced at Missandei and saw that she was smiling to herself.

  
  
_So, she's noticed too_ , he thought.

  
  
Something was definitely brewing beneath the surface between the young rulers. It was no small thing that the Dragon Queen had stopped her guards from following them into the cave. This was her first time of seeing it. Jon had decided to put a hold on mining until he showed it to her.

 

He knew Jon well enough now. He was still a bit withdrawn because he didn't want any distractions. Sometimes, he felt like giving Jon a good ribbing, but he always thought the better of it.

 

Footsteps crunching on the stones took him out of his head. He saw them both come out. He saw that Jon looked unsettled.

 

Wondering what had caused it didn't last long because of what he saw before him. His King and the Queen walking side by side with Jon holding the torch.

 

_What if...no._

 

He shook the thought away.

 

  
**Eastwatch**

  
Tomorrow, they would sail for Eastwatch by the sea. He took in a deep swig of his mead and let out a satisfied breath. It was odd how much he was already missing this place. They had been here for close to nine moons. With the foreign music, the increasingly free laughter and the smell of melting candles, different meats, fruits, fresh bread, butter, cheese and alcohol, the small feast was getting merrier.

  
Jon didn't want the fuss, but the Queen had insisted. At the far end of the hall, he saw Jon watch Daenerys. One of the soldiers had cornered him and after their discussion, he seemed content to stand there.  
He had done a good job of not giving away his affections for the young queen. At least, not in public. So much so that Davos suspected she wasn't sure of what Jon felt for her. However, whenever he was away from prying eyes, his feelings weren't so hidden.

  
  
Well, the cat was definitely out of the bag for most of, if not all, their close advisors. In the meeting they had the week before, he'd seen all the unspoken things that were said between them.  
She didn't want Jon to leave, but she respected his right to do so. It was an impossible situation. She had her wars to fight and he had his.

  
Unlike Jon, when it came to what she felt for him, she was an open book. She was excellent at projecting her queenly persona, but after nine moons of watching her and Jon, it was clear to him and to her advisors that Jon had come to mean a lot to her.

  
  
Whatever happened next, if they survived, they wouldn't forget each other in a hurry.  
  
**Hurry!!!**

  
His good hand shook as he frantically tried to write to the Dragon Queen. When that wasn't working, one of the brothers took the scroll and the feather from him as he dictated;

 

**"Your Grace, Ser Jorah and King Jon will fucking die soon without help. They're surrounded by the enemy with no food and no shelter. PLEASE COME WITH AS MUCH HELP AS YOU CAN AND COME AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!"**

 

**Conscious**

  
Davos couldn't help the feeling of devotion he felt towards Daenerys. She had stood vigil on the Wall longer than he had and now there was nothing anyone would say to make her leave Jon's side. He'd had practice with strong-willed leaders. Her stubbornness was nothing new to him.

  
  
This was the fourth day since they had rescued Jon and he was still not yet awake. There really had to be an unknown power invested in the young king's life because no one should have survived that.

  
  
Ser Davos had just spoken with Missandei and she was worried for her queen. He would try to get her to eat more than a few nibbles of food per day. If he could convince the Iron Bank to invest in a losing side, then he could appeal to the Queen's rationality. He just had to know when and how to bring up Jon Snow.

 

Determined, he started towards Jon's cabin. He'd barely made it there when he saw a very flustered Daenerys leave the cabin. She took in a deep breath and then schooled her features so that it gave nothing away. He smiled at that.

  
  
Jon was awake if he were to guess. His smile widened into a grin. The King had escaped death yet again. Praise be.

  
  
Davos hurried to the cabin and saw Jon stare blankly at the ceiling.

  
  
_Daenerys_ , thought Davos. Matters of the heart were complicated.

  
"Your Grace!"

  
Jon turned and smiled wide. He looked younger now.

  
Davos wanted to urge him on if he was in pursuit of the Queen's affections, but this wasn't the time.

 

  
**White Harbour**

  
Late into the night of the eve of their arrival at White Harbour, Davos whittled a piece of wood. He had yet to decide what he would make, but there was a lot of inspiration to go around. Most of the crew had gone below deck so there were only a handful of people scattered on deck. Among them was Jon standing alone shrouded by the dark of the night with a lone torch to provide him light. Davos kept a watchful eye on him from a considerable distance.

  
  
He heard Daenerys before he saw her. He watched her look around and then go to the hidden corner on the deck of the ship to stand beside Jon. She didn't look at Jon nor did she say anything to him. She didn't need to.

  
  
One time, he'd overheard Jon tease her about how she’d flex her fingers whenever she tried to start a difficult conversation or avoid one.

  
  
From where he sat, he saw Jon look down at her hands flexing on the wood and then he started tracing circles on the back of her right hand. He spread his fingers over hers and then he laced them through hers. Still looking ahead quietly, she licked her lips and swallowed. Then Jon unlaced their fingers, angled himself a bit, drew closer to her and put his hand on the small of her back to rub his thumb back and forth as he looked at her with intense focus. He lowered his forehead to the side of her head and his lips brushed the against the shell of her ear. His hand trailed upwards until it got to her neck where it stopped. He brushed her braids aside and continued to rub his thumb back and forth, but this time on the back of her neck.

 

Davos felt uneasy watching them. Like he wasn't supposed to see something that deeply intimate and sensual. It was no secret to him how they spent their nights, but during the day, they were kept very busy with monarchical duties so that whatever this was between them only happened in private.

  
  
He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed them.

  
  
Varys. Of course. The Spider looked exasperated. He sighed and unfurled his hands from the sleeves of his tunic and faded back into the shadows.

  
  
Davos smiled at that. They had given up so much for the greater good already and they hardly had any time to themselves now because of the hours spent on council meetings and battle plans. There was a chance that one or both of them could die. What was the harm in falling in love?

  
  
He moved away quietly and made sure to tell Greyworm, who was standing guard, not to let anyone near that side of the ship.

  
  
  
**Beyond The Castle Grounds**

  
He supposed it shouldn't surprise him that she had become friends with Gilly. It might not be an unusual thing for the Essosi who had travelled with her, but it was almost unheard of for someone of her status in Westeros.

  
They needed to discuss the logistics of the forthcoming war.

  
They had arrived at Winterfell one week ago and the Dragon Queen seemed to have won the loyalty of Ghost, Gilly and Little Sam. It was Gilly who had told them where to find her. She was outside the castle grounds discussing battle plans with her council.

  
  
Jon stopped abruptly and Davos nearly lost his footing. He followed the direction of Jon's gaze and he understood why;

  
  
In betwixt her two dragons stood Queen Daenerys with Little Sam on one arm and her other hand idly stroking the fur of Jon's great direwolf. She listened with rapt attention to what some of her foreign warriors were saying to her in their strange tongue.

 

Nothing looked out of place, oddly enough. A warrior queen and a mother figure. Fitting.

  
  
Jon's eyes were glued to her. The Onion Knight looked back and saw some of the lords coming their way.

 

He lowered his voice and subtly nugded Jon, "If you stare at her any harder, Your Grace, you're going to bore holes into the side of her head."

  
  
That seemed to shake him out of whatever state he had gone into, but it did nothing to wipe that look from his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and continued walking towards her.

 

 _Ah...young love_ , Davos thought as he walked behind Jon to give him some room with Daenerys who had just now seen him walking towards her.

 

At this rate, she would get pregnant anytime soon. Perhaps they should start thinking of a marriage alliance. He didn't know why it hadn't come up yet.

 

He would never be a father again nor would he ever be a grandfather, but if the gods were kind, he would live to see their children and wouldn't that be something?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary
> 
> Another POV chapter. Here we see Jon and Daenerys through the eyes of Theon, Arya, Missandei and Lord Glover.
> 
> Chapter Notes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I forgot about this story, but thanks to reader smutandtears, here's chapter 3.
> 
> This was my original note when I posted it last year (TeeHee):
> 
> I want to clarify that Daenerys is not pregnant in Arya's POV. I just wanted to write a scene that portrayed how much their intimacy has grown. This is all very new to me, my first attempt at writing anything intimate between two characters was in yesterday's chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> How are you doing today? Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a comment.

 

 

## THEON

_Reek_ , he heard Ramsay Bolton say. He whimpered and hugged himself harder. _No!_ Ramsay was dead. Jon Snow had killed him.

 

He closed his eyes and swallowed the bile that rose up to his throat. Seeing Jon Snow after all these years had collapsed any strength that he had been able to muster after abandoning Yara.

 

All that guilt and shame swallowed him whole and left him feeling pathetic. Not that he had stopped feeling that way since Yara had been captured. If it wasn't for Ser Davos, he was sure that Jon would have gutted him on the shore. He knew Jon hated him, but nothing could ever surpass the self-loathing that had become like his second skin.

 

He hugged himself tighter to stop the shivering.

 

_Yara._

 

He had to bury whatever self-hatred or apprehensiveness he felt. He had to do it for Yara. She had fought to bring him back to sanity. She had fought to remind him that his name was Theon Greyjoy. He would fight just as hard for her. He had to speak with the Dragon Queen. He saw her largest dragon land on a cliff. He would wait for her to climb down and then bring up Yara's rescue.

 

His mind lost all thought when he saw Jon walk behind the Queen and another man dressed in black clothes. He began to shake then. With nowhere to hide, he quickly turned to the left and kept walking until he was sure that they couldn't see him anymore. He would talk to her later. He passed through the Dothraki camp on his way to his quarters. He didn't want to risk running into Jon. He passed by a pack of dogs in a wooden shed and almost crawled in with them. That's where the likes of him belonged.

 

_No, Theon,_ he admonished himself, _You are Theon of the House Greyjoy. Ancient Seat to the Iron Islands._

He hurried past the camp and through the stables to his room. As soon as he shut the door, he ran to the chamber pot and retched until his stomach hurt.

 

## Brother I

The Queen had called her for her council. He got there in a hurry. He was trying to get there when everyone got there and not before or after so that none of the attention would be on him.

 

"Oof!" Theon looked up at Jon's face as Jon steadied him. He looked unhappy, but gave Theon a small smile before he went into the room with the mapped table.

 

Completely shaken, Theon shuffled in until he stood in a corner where no one would easily see him.

 

When the Dragon Queen was seated, she gave Jon the go ahead to speak.

 

"I thought Bran was dead. I thought. Arya was dead," Jon started.

 

Theon's heart beat faster. Bran! He was alive!

 

"I'm happy for you," she said.

 

Jon didn't respond.

 

"You don't look happy," she noted.

 

Theon began fidgeting with his gloves. They didn't fit because of some of his missing fingers. Ser Davos' voice brought him back to the present. He too had lost some of his fingers. That comforted Theon. If only a little.

 

He didn't hear what Jon said, but he looked up then and caught the look on Queen Daenerys' face. She looked fearful and her eyes were trained on Jon.

 

He observed the exchange with interest. Did she like Jon the way a woman liked a man?

 

"I haven't given you permission to leave."

 

"With respect Your Grace, I don't need your permission. I _am_ a king...," Jon challenged firmly, but gently.

 

Theon's eyes grew wide at that. What was happening here?

 

His disquiet forgotten for the moment, he watched Jon and the Queen. Jon had never been the most eloquent amongst the brothers especially when it came to women and he had always been the most clueless when it came to how to interpret a woman's affections. That's why he was still a maid by the time he left for the Wall. Theon smiled at the thought and at a happier time. He and Robb used to tease Jon mercilessly. Robb was good-natured about it, but Theon was cruel sometimes.

 

That dulled his happiness and made him sober.

 

_Yara_ , he remembered. Her name was his strength.

 

Sparing one more thought for Jon and Daenerys, Theon wished Jon the best. Maybe it was selfish to think of what only Jon would gain here, but it felt like a little atonement to wish him well with the Dragon Queen.

 

## Brother II

Since Jon had returned from the Wall, he seemed different. He was still determined to destroy the Night King, but there was a sense of relief that came with this burden now. Daenerys _was_ different as well. He couldn't explain it because at a glance, she looked like she always did; a ruler of great character, but something had changed. Maybe it was the loss of her dragon.

 

Yes. That was it.

 

When he was Reek, some days Ramsay would play a game with him. The game was to test how observant he was. Whenever he missed something, he would lose something. He had to train his eyes to see what wasn't _there_ if not he wouldn't have any teeth in his mouth by now.

 

He rubbed the side of his mouth to ease the ghost pain and turned to leave the shore. On his way up the hill, he saw Davos talking to Jon. Jon would nod or respond back in words. His eyes were distant, however. Without having to check, he knew who Jon was looking at.

 

Since she had gotten back, when they weren't making preparations for their meeting at the Dragonpit, she spent more time with her dragons than she spent with anyone. He hadn't seen her spend time with Jon like she did before he went to Eastwatch.

 

He regarded Jon again. Hunger and tenderness swirled in his Jon's eyes. He looked like he wanted to fuc--bed her. He also looked like he was, perhaps, considering a future with her. Theon smirked and sent a silent prayer to the drowned god for Jon.

 

## Brother III

"We can sail with them to White Harbor and meet the Dothraki here on the Kingsroad, then ride together to Winterfell."

 

For the first time in a very long time, Theon truly felt like Jon's brother again. It was like growing up and Jon would come up with convincing reasons to make Lord Eddard see why he should let the boys do something that he wouldn't normally let them do. The last time that had happened had been with the direwolf pups.

 

In a fashion unique to Jon, Jon presented very good reasons why it was better to travel together as allies.

 

Ser Jorah also had his very good reasons why the Queen should mount her dragon to the North.

 

Jon's insistence and diplomacy made Theon fight the smirk that kept threatening to betray his show of ignorance.

 

He stood with Jon, it was a better tactical advantage. He also knew, after he saw them both at the Dragonpit, that Jon meant to court Daenerys and if sailing together meant that Jon had more time to spend with her, especially after she had distanced herself from him when they came back from the Wall, then Jon would get it. He had never spoken up in a meeting unless asked to, but he was willing to lend his support to Jon.

 

He didn't need to; the Dragon Queen was taking care of it.

 

"I'm not coming to conquer the North. I'm coming to save the North," she addressed all present, "Together," she nodded at Jon.

 

Feeling good after the council meeting, he went on to speak with the Dragon Queen and brought her attention to Yara again. She listened. He liked that she had never looked at him with pity nor did she treat him any differently than she treated any other member of her council. She told him that she would provide him with ships and the men that she could spare. She also promised to fight his fight when they defeated the Night King and his army.

 

It went quickly. With that settled, he ran after Jon.

 

## What Is Dead May Never Die

On his knees and breathing hard, he wanted to throw himself into the sea and rinse the past away from him forever. He knew that he could never forget, his scars and his pain were a tattoo on his soul, but he could start anew. A man wiser and stronger. He had conquered one great fear. On to the next one.

 

If all things went well and it wasn't his time to feast in the watery halls of the the drowned god, then he would join up with Jon and Daenerys and fight to save mankind.

 

 

## ARYA

She had come to tell Jon that a rider from the Wall had come with terrible news, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt them. Not yet.

 

This side of Jon and Daenerys was reserved for them alone. He sat on a boulder with his legs apart. Daenerys was talking enthusiastically about something. She looked like a carefree girl then. Unburdened by the weight of the world on her shoulders. He reached out for her hand and pulled her in between his legs. She let him pull her in and continued talking and gesturing excitedly without missing a beat. She loosened the leather strip that held his hair in a knot so that she could play with a curl or two. It looked to Arya that she liked his hair as much as Jon did when they were younger.

Whatever she was telling him had him answer with a nod or a shake of his head from time to time, his smile ever present. Soon after, he placed his hands on her waist and was dropping feather light kisses on her stomach. He even bit her stomach softly at one point and lifted his hand to brush her nipple. Arya made a face at that. This was the exact reason she had decided not to spy on Daenerys.

 

She didn't trust anyone who wasn't her family, but she could tell that Daenerys was genuine where Jon was concerned. She also didn't want to walk in on her brother rutting with anyone. It didn't matter that she had trained to be a faceless man and had seen things that most wouldn't see in their lifetime, seeing her brother or any of her kin  in that act would be very embarrassing. She shook her head as if to drive the thought away. In Winterfell, they had even less time to be alone so all that self-restraint and distance that they displayed in the open went out the window when they secluded themselves. It wasn't that they were keeping this a secret, like Sansa had said to her in mother and father's room when they were talking about Jon and Daenerys, it was that they didn't think that everyone should be privy to the progress of their _alliance_ just yet. That's what Sansa thought and Arya agreed with her.

 

Daenerys must have surprised him with what she said at that moment, because he looked up sharply and poked her belly as if in retaliation for whatever statement that she had just made. Undeterred, she continued with what she was saying. This time, Jon's head dropped to her stomach and his shoulders were shaking. Then he threw back his head and laughed out loud. The Dragon Queen tried and failed to feign annoyance and then she flicked his forehead playfully with a cheeky grin on her face, but that just made him laugh harder.

 

Arya smiled at that, but her smile disappeared just as quickly as it came. Jon deserved all the happiness that this life had stolen from him. All the Stark children did. They had experienced unimaginable hardships, but the ones who survived were all here.

 

She wished she hadn't volunteered to deliver the news, but everyone had agreed that she would be the fastest person to get to them since she knew a shortcut to where they were. The guards kept a watchful eye out for intruders, but beyond a certain point, no one dared to go close to them because of the dragons.

 

She couldn't stop the Night King from riding on the Queen's undead dragon, but she could make this moment last a bit longer.

 

She decided to delay dispensing the information. She would wait here. Just a bit longer.

 

 

**MISSANDEI**

## Fire and Blood

"Did you know?" she asked in hard voice.

 

"No," Jon replied seemingly unperturbed by her coldness.

 

Queen Daenerys' response was an imperceptible nod. An acknowledgement that Lord Snow would never lie to her.

 

To an outsider, it looked like any other conversation, but Missandei knew that they were both struggling with anger here. They both felt betrayed by the information. She knew her queen better than she knew Lord Snow so she knew that Daenerys was conflicted. On one hand, she was happy to not be the only Targaryen alive. Relieved, even. On the other hand, she had sacrificed everything to get this close to the throne and Lord Snow's claim was a threat to that goal.

 

Missandei knew that they loved each other and trusted each other, but this made things complicated and they were reacting as only humans would.

 

Lord Snow's face mirrored her queen's. A shuttered expression. They didn't say anything else to each other so he left, but not without smoothing her cheek with his knuckles.

 

She saw Daenerys' façade crack.

 

There was something that very few people knew about the dragon queen. The person she usually presented to the world was ruthless, fearless, sometimes cold and sometimes very benevolent depending on if you were her enemy, a loyal subject or the oppressed. She'd had to grow up very quickly because of her experiences and the task she had burdened herself with so there was hardly any time for her to enjoy life the way a young woman should. That's why whenever the opportunity showed itself, she took it eagerly.

 

This was the reason that she had taken Daario for a lover and why one would have thought they were just mere maidens fetching water at a stream when the issue of what Greyworm had done with his fingers and tongue had come up. She loved seeing her queen happy:

 

Beneath the warrior queen was a young woman who longed for home and a family, both sides of her identity were important, but for a long time, she had quieted the need for home and a family and planted all her energy and resources in her legacy. If she and Jon could have children, perhaps this could have been resolved fairly easily.

 

When defenseless Jon Snow had stubbornly refused to bend the knee without offering anything but his help, the Queen was surprised. After the unfortunate loss of two of her allies, Jon and his dragonglass were a welcome distraction. On several occasions, the subject of Ser Davos' "knife to the heart" statement had come up. It wasn't hard to spot when the attraction to Lord Snow had begun. His motives were pure and though he admired her, he didn't have to fawn or display any sort of bravado to impress her. He treated her with respect and he was very honest with her even when he stood the risk of losing his life.

 

Missandei had watched him grow from a distraction to a very important part of her queen's decision-making and to the man Daenerys had let herself fall deeply in love with. The Queen's charisma usually fooled people into not knowing that the she was actually quite reserved. She didn't let anyone get beyond a certain point of familiarity. Not even Daario who had successfully wooed her. But Lord Snow was not Daario. Not by any means.

 

Missandei had seen the horrors of slavery firsthand. She had been used for more than being a translator. She knew the evil that existed in the hearts of some men and how cruel some women and children could be. She had decided the day that Daenerys had set her free that she would stand with her unwaveringly. Whatever Daenerys decided for Westeros was what was best for Westeros. She wasn't clueless; she had seen her queen struggle with the dark side of the unmatched power that she had amassed, but she had also seen her surround herself with people who could challenge her without fear if she went too far so Missandei knew that Westeros was in good hands, if not the best.

 

Lord Snow was a lot more like her queen than he let on and some of their differences actually enhanced their similarities. She had known him for close to a year now so naturally, Missandei had picked up on some things. Where Daenerys was quick to anger, that anger flared and dissipated almost instantly. She only acted on her anger if she was driven to it. Jon's anger, which was very slow to come, stewed and didn't stop brewing until he acted swiftly on it. She'd heard him tell Daenerys about Lord Janos Slynt when she felt guilty upon discovering whose family the Tarlys were. They both didn't allow personal grudges get in the way of their goals. A good example was Tyrion's influence and authority in her reign despite him being the son of the man who had been instrumental in the downfall of her House. Similarly, Lord Snow didn't treat Theon Greyjoy with the venom that one would expect after what he had done to the Starks.

 

They shared similar values. They had, surprisingly, relatable experiences in leadership. They both had very keen military minds. They were both young and very pleasant to look at. It was only a matter of time before they got to this point.

 

Because of how serious-minded they both were, she had come to enjoy seeing them exchange banter or huddle together and laugh at jokes that only they understood. Like children without any care in the world would do. She enjoyed working with them and seeing them make decisions together, but seeing them allow themselves to be young made the heart light.

 

She'd been with her queen for a long time and she'd seen her rise to where she was now. She'd seen her make mistakes and grow from the lessons that those mistakes brought. She'd seen her kill without a second thought. She'd also seen her struggle with insecurities and uncertainties because the lives of millions of people depended on the next decision that she would make.

 

What Missandei had never seen was her queen place this much trust in someone so quickly and except she was with her children, she'd never seen her let loose and just be. Until Jon.

 

It was bad enough that they had an undead dragon coming at them, now the news of this succession brought its own woes.

 

But she wasn't worried. Daenerys had fought greater foes and come out the victor because she was relentless in her fight until they cowed before her. This time, love and legacy were at stake. Whatever this obstacle was that life had placed before Lord Snow and their queen, Missandei knew who would win.

 

 

**LORD GLOVER**

 

## The Great Hall

Lord Glover sneered at the Targaryen girl. She had bewitched their king. This selfless act was just that; an act. Nobody did anything this great without a price and the North wasn't enough. Not for an outsider. She would destroy the fragile peace that they had managed to get. The people she had chosen for her council told him what he needed to know about what kind of a queen she was. The sinister Lord Varys, former slaves, savages, that Greyshit boy who had invaded the North, a Lannister!

 

He watched her closely in all the meetings they had at the Great Hall. He was careful not to be too much of an opposition. She did have dragons after all. He still couldn't wrap his mind around that and that's what scared him more. Without dragons, people who didn't care for the well being of the North had managed to ravage the country. How much damage could the Mad King's daughter do with two dragons?

 

Maybe that's how she brought King Jon...Lord Snow to heel. He cast his eyes to the man in question. The now Warden of The North didn't look like he was in distress. If anything, he looked in charge. He looked like a king. He hated to admit it, but Daenerys Targaryen looked every bit as regal as the White Wolf did and together, they posed a very united front. They didn't undermine each other and they never came to a decision until they both agreed. There was mutual respect between the two and nothing they did gave him any cause to think that they were more than allies, but he had his suspicions and they were growing. He wondered if any of the other Lords or knights shared his thoughts.

 

He felt guilt eat at him whenever he remembered his passivity before the Battle of The Bastards. He was ashamed that he couldn't help, but that was no fault of his. His House had lost so much fighting for the Starks over the past few decades. Fathers, uncles, brothers, sons and nephews all dead. Some of the women of his household had been raped. It was House Bolton that had saved them from that cockless fuck and the scum that came with him from the Iron Islands. As long as he hadn't oppose House Bolton, House Glover was safe.

 

He balled his fingers into a fist to quell the bitterness rising. The Young Wolf had looked like someone who could soothe their wounded pride, but he had ended up losing far greater than just his father; he had cost House Stark the loyalty of some of the Houses of the North. He had cost House Stark the North and he had cost the North her pride. When they had gone south, outsiders had invaded and torn the country apart. All that because King Stark let a foreign wench control him with her cunt. He wasn't the first to be besotted by a beautiful woman. He could have had her as a mistress, but the Stark honour had proven a bitter enemy when wisdom was absent.

 

_The King Who Lost The North_ , Lord Glover thought.

 

Like his half-brother, Jon Snow had done the same. He brought a foreign whore who was far more dangerous than any adversary that they had ever faced. He looked at her again. With a hard expression on her face, she was listening to what Tyrion Lannister had to say. _Imagine that!_ A Lannister at the head of the table. _A kinslayer!_ And that disgrace, Jorah Mormont. He wanted to spit on the ground to show his disdain. He didn't deserve to be here. Ned Stark would have killed him! He closed his eyes. Lord Eddard was the last great thing to happen to the North. When Jon Snow had won the battle, he had dared to hope. But it looked like history was about to fuck them in the arse again.

 

Turning his thoughts back to Daenerys Targaryen, he admitted to himself that she was difficult to read. She surprised him with her eye for military tactics. No matter, she might not survive this. She would be hard to kill if ever the time came. The loyalty of her foreign people reminded him of why House Stark had stood for eight thousand years. The Unsullied, the Dothraki and her dragons posed the most impossible obstacles, but there was always a way.

 

She nodded her thanks and gave Lord Manderly room to speak. The fat lord could barely catch his breath after standing up to address the queen. She looked at Lord Snow briefly and turned away. Was that a smile? Sometimes, he felt like his mind was playing tricks on him. Three days ago, she had walked over to pass a scroll to Jon Snow and it seemed to him like her fingers had lingered, but she had walked away with a stoic look on her face so he brushed that thought aside. In this very meeting, when Jon was addressing everyone, he looked at her often. Maybe it didn't mean anything or maybe it meant that he had sold the North for a wet and warm snatch.

 

His lady had told him not to cause their House any trouble with such talk and had tried to reason with him that the Dragon Queen had brought all her resources to help them, but Lord Glover didn't trust outsiders and he trusted foreigners even less. She might have been born in Westeros, but she knew next to nothing about the pride that came with being one with this country. Before there were dragons and after the dragons were long gone, the North would remain.

 

He would put aside his suspicions for the survival of the North, but after the wars, he would push for Northern Independence. It was so before the first Targaryen ruler and it would be so after the last.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains the POVs of Greyworm and Sansa. Seeing Jon and Daenerys through their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! *Waves*
> 
> I just opened a twitter account today (@DoxaWoxa). I gotta say, starting out on a new platform is a long thing aka challenging. Lol. My comfort zone is reddit, r/freefolk especially. I understand it because I've used it for years and everyone is an asshole there so it doesn't feel clique-y so to speak. Tumblr, I'm just getting the hang of, but I still feel like an outsider especially because I opened an account after S8. Got kicked out of a discord group in less than a day after telling some people to stop being hypocrites. Twitter is a whole other world on its own. There are Targ/Jonerys communities on all these platforms and many people I admire, but I think S8 has made people wary of newcomers. I might be wrong though, and it's all in my head. Fandom life is...interesting. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Putting up the final outline for the remainder of 'So What Now?' while 'Targaryen Afterlife' is being worked on. I'm also thinking of an AU, but I really don't think I'll write it. 
> 
> Have a blessed week ahead of you.

## TORGO NUDHO

He stood sentinel by her and saw her look down at the Starks. They were down at the training area. Lady Arya was shoving Jon and Lady Sansa rolled Bran out of their way so that they would not hit him. It looked like she was chiding her brother and sister.

 

It was like watching an outsider look in. He knew because he understood. Long before he had become an unsullied, he had watched boys his age with their families. He had yearned for that, but that desire had been killed until she had set him free and given him the choice to want again.

 

His glance skirted back to the Starks and he saw that the sisters looked annoyed at something he was telling them. Whatever it was, their annoyance didn't last because they were both laughing at him. Even Bran, who was strange, managed a look that wasn't empty.

 

He saw the Khaleesi give a small smile at that.

 

 _Family_.

 

Greyworm wasn't a man of many words, he often preferred not to speak, but he wanted to say something. He wanted to tell her that kin didn't always mean family and family didn't always mean kin. Tyrion, Jorah and Missandei, _they_ were her family.

 

 _My Missandei_ , his heart smiled.

 

He remembered when he had first started feeling differently about Missandei. It was a confusing time for him. Funnily, Daario's constant teasing had eased his troubled heart some. He had agonized on whether she liked him the same way until the day he apologized for not looking away from her naked form and she told him that she wasn't sorry it happened.

 

They had grown closer until he had shown her just how much she meant to him with more than his words could ever say. Now, she was his family.

 

That's how he saw the queen and her Northerner. They were family in the way that he and Missandei were family.

 

He had watched them come to terms with the truth of what they felt for each other and he had watched Jorah the Andal struggle with shattered hopes once again.

 

His heart went out to his friend. His Khaleesi had handled the whole affair with grace and had made sure to show Jorah how dear he was to her in a bid to lessen the sting of what might be another unwitting rejection.

 

Ever faithful, Jorah still stood by her side. Even now. Alongside Missandei who kept peering at their queen. He smiled within him at that. _Intuitive as ever._

 

Daenerys Stormborn might not realize it yet, but sometimes, two hearts had stronger ties than blood. That's what Missandei had told him one night on Dragonstone and he believed her.

 

## Winterfool

It belonged to my mother," Khaleesi said softly, "She died the day I was born."

 

"I don't know my mother," Jon Snow said as he let out a laugh, "My lord father never got the chance to tell me about her after he had a change of heart to not keep it from me."

 

A silence fell on both of them as they stared at each other--Daenerys playing with the ring on her finger and Jon smiling tentatively with his hands clasped at his back.

 

"I...,"

 

"We---,"

 

They both laughed at that.

 

"You first," Jon told her.

 

"The ring is all I have left of her," she showed him the small ring decorated with two pearls, "Viserys, my brother, sold everything so we wouldn't starve. The last thing he sold was my mother's crown so I hid this. I hid it until after he died."

 

He saw the look on Jon's face. He knew that look. He knew that it's what Missandei saw on his own face when they lay awake at night touching each other with nothing, but a candle or two to bear them witness. Like she was his to protect.

 

"I was always reminded of what I am and I resented it until I met Your Hand."

 

The Queen's eyes widened at that.

 

"He told me to wear what I am as armour so it wouldn't be used to hurt me," he finished with a laugh.

 

She laughed with him. Softly. They grew quiet and continued their walk.

 

"Over there," Jon suddenly said, pointing to a distance, "That's the first place that I got drunk. I was a boy of ten-and-two."

 

Daenerys looked at him in disbelief.

 

"It's true," he nodded and went on in false graveness, "We stole some ale from the cellar to see who would get drunk first. Theon stood guard so that we wouldn't get caught."

 

"Well, did you?"

 

"Did I what?" his voice took on a teasing tone to match the expression on his face.

 

"Did you get caught?"

 

"What do you think?"

 

She shrugged impatiently.

 

"Yes, but not there. Robb had watered down his ale to the point where it wouldn't get him drunk, but I didn't catch on. I woke up the next day with the sound of a beating drum in my head and my father asking, "What is the meaning of this?"" he said in a brogue that was somehow thicker than usual.

 

Delighted, Daenerys persuaded him to continue.

 

"You see, Robb had gotten Sansa to braid my hair and I was lain across my lord father's chest of maps in his solar with a wineskin full of ale in my arms and a writing on my face that read,

'Winterfool'."

 

Jon joined Daenerys as her laughter rang out into the woods. He could see the dragons stir at that. It was a sweet sound. Even he, Greyworm, had to smile.

 

It wasn't often that he saw her laugh. Too many responsibilities to shoulder and no time to live for herself.

 

Already, talk was spreading of how often they took walks to where the dragons rested. Some Northerners feared that the Dragon Queen used them to threaten their king whenever the Northern lords proved difficult. Others spoke of something different entirely; they weren't far off the truth.

 

When he had returned from Casterly Rock, he wasn't surprised to find a new ally. He knew that the Warden of the North had been beckoned. What was surprising to him was how close he had gotten with the Khaleesi. He had kept an eye on this new ally, but like his queen, his trust for Jon Snow had only grown over time. There was no guile to be found in him.

 

Lord Snow was a man that he would trust to watch his back on the battlefield.

 

## Love Vs Duty

When they got closer to where Jon was in the Godswood, she ordered the rest of her guards to stay back while he continued to walk with her.

 

On seeing her, Jon's face broke into a smile. Ghost left his side and came to the Queen.

 

She scratched behind the direwolf's ears until he was satisfied. He wandered off after her ministrations and she looked to Jon;

 

"Jon," Daenerys said.

 

"Daenerys," he answered with mock solemnity, copying her seriousness.

 

She didn't reciprocate his playfulness. Instead, a frustrated huff escaped her. She turned away from him and walked towards the direction that Ghost had gone. Jon frowned and looked like he was trying to understand what was happening. He walked to catch up with her. Greyworm didn't understand either, but his duty was to guard and to answer to her when it was requested of him so he tried to put his mind on what concerned him.

 

They fell silent until she began flexing her fingers.

 

"What is it, Dany?" he queried pensively, his expression unreadable.

 

"I was talking to some of the Northern women and it seems that the lords have some fine women lined up for you. There's talk of who would make you a good match," she said without looking at him.

 

"Daenerys...," he warned.

 

But she didn't let him finish. She had turned around to face him now;

 

"Think about it, Jon. It's an astute political decision. It makes sense. Even if it's not with a Northern girl. It would keep the peace after the wars and ensure that any scheming is held off for sometime while we rebuild. I will name you my heir so that after--after I'm gone, I know that the future of this continent is in the worthy hands," she went on.

 

She continued talking to make him see why she was right. With every point she made, Greyworm could see Jon Snow's displeasure compound. By the time she was done, the look in his eyes was that of stubborn determination.

 

"...that's what I think is best."

 

It may have seemed impossible for the Godswood to grow even more quiet, but somehow that's what happened.

 

Greyworm could see his Khaleesi's growing discomfort even though she held Jon's gaze unflinchingly.

 

Normally, she didn't need guards when she had to be alone with Jon Snow, but on their way to meet with him, she had ordered him to stay close. Now he understood why. Being alone with Jon might weaken her resolve.

 

"Are you done?" he asked quietly, "I thought I made my position clear on this already, Daenerys-,"

 

"Yes, but what if you change your mind later? This thing between us, it's a chance we're taking because we might both die. Are we going to act like you might not want to further the Stark line if we survive?" she insisted stubbornly, "...the Targaryen line?" she added weakly.

 

"The Targaryen line," he repeated flatly.

 

"After I name you my heir. Your first child will bear the Targaryen name and your second, the Stark name," she said looking at him impassively.

 

"You have this all planned out, don't you?"

 

"Yes," she answered. Not bothering to deny anything.

 

"So you would have me whore myself out for political gain," he said as he stepped towards her angrily.

 

Greyworm watched the scene with heightened anticipation; his body humming in preparation for any misstep that might come from Jon Snow.

 

"No, that's not what--,"

 

"I heard you the first time you said that you couldn't have children. And the second. Yet, here I am,"

 

He lowered his voice to say, "I made the choice to knock on your cabin door that night knowing that you _might_ be able to bear my child. It was... _is_ my choice and no one, but me has the power to control that. Not even you."

 

He was right in front of her now. Greyworm found it interesting that the more upset he got, the thicker his accent became.

 

"So if, as your Queen I command you to wed someone else, you wouldn't?"

 

Jon's pointed look at her was the only answer that he gave.

 

For years, since his freedom, he had watched his queen with her advisors. She usually gave room for everyone present to contribute to the decision before it came to its final point. There were times when she went ahead and acted against what she was advised to do. She was always so sure of what to do. The only time that he had seen her waver in confidence was after the death of Mossador. Right now, the look on her face reminded him of that day. He knew how hard this was for her. Especially seeing how much she and Little Sam had taken to each other. It was a secret that only the people closest to her were aware of; her inability to bear children.

 

"I don't want...this goes beyond us, Jon," she said quietly, "I don't want you to regret this."

 

"A vengeful witch told you that you couldn't have children," Jon countered gently.

 

"Jon...,"

 

"I don't care about any of that, Daenerys. Why would I? I never thought that I would have children. I was prepared to die without ever having any. Many things have changed since. I became a king and now I'm the Warden of the North, but I'm still a bastard," he paused.

 

"There will be a lot of things to deal with after the Great War, but first, let's survive this. Let's destroy the Night King and his army, then we will think of what comes next," he implored, "Trust me, Dany."

 

 

That night, Greyworm couldn't stop thinking about what he had seen that afternoon. It troubled him that he would never be able to give Missandei children.

 

"Come to bed,"

 

"Missandei, do you want children?" he asked in Valyrian.

 

When she didn't answer, he looked back and saw the bemused look on her face. Still waiting for an answer, he climbed on the bed and held both of her hands with his.

"Yes."

 

His heart fell.

 

"But, who says they have to come from your loins or my womb? We're at war and many children will be orphaned by the war. Who says that we can't give some of them a home?"

 

He pushed himself forward until he kissed her and he kissed her until they both were out of breath. His hands went up to cup her breasts. He would pleasure her tonight. He loved to see her come undone before him.

 

 

"Torgo Nudho, what made you ask about children?" she asked sleepily.

 

"I was thinking of what we will do when the wars are over. I've never had a fam--,"

 

Her light snore interrupted him. He laughed softly. She would deny it again in the morning that she didn't snore. He stroked her hair and thought again of his Queen. He worried for her. For both their sakes, he hoped Jon was right.

 

## Life Vs Death

The smell of burning bodies and rotted flesh filled the air. Sweat, blood and rotted innards that had splashed on him were making an even thicker coat across his skin. The ash hanging in the air made his eyes water, making it even harder to see through the fog that accompanied the dead. The clanging of steel against steel and the screams and screeches that surrounded him made it so that he had never been in a battle so horrifying. He covered his nose to and tried to breathe in through his mouth.

He was cold. So cold.

 

He pierced his spear into another rotting corpse that came at him and it wilted before falling lifeless on his spear. He kicked it and pulled his spear to force it out of the dead body. Then he turned to face another. And another. And another.

 

They were outnumbered.

 

He looked up to see dragons tear at each other with angry claws and teeth. Flesh for flesh. Ice Vs Fire.

 

His thoughts wandered away from battle to Missandei.

 

He wondered were she was at this very moment. If she had escaped the ambush. He steeled his heart against the fear that was creeping in. He had to fight and he had to live. His Khaleesi demanded it.

 

He looked to his left and saw Jon Snow fight. It was a beautiful madness. If violence was a minstrel, then Jon was its song. He fought like a man that had everything to gain. He fought like a man that had everything to lose.

 

A blow to his head had his skull ring. His mouth filled with a coppery taste and he spat out blood. He turned to fend off the next hit, but the shaft of his spear shattered when the blue-eyed demon held it. It grasped his throat and lifted him off the ground.

 

Certain he would die of asphyxiation, he closed his eyes for his final moments when he fell down suddenly and felt a sharp spray of ice leaving some cuts on his face before they melted away.

"Fuck that!" Jon shouted above the chaos and threw a dragonglass dagger at him.

 

Greyworm nodded at him and got up to continue fighting. He might not survive this, he thought, but if the safety of humanity was in the hands of the Last Targaryens, then he knew that mankind had hope.

 

 

## SANSA

Sansa woke up disoriented. Her brain scrambled to remember where she was. _The solar_. The small council had planned and debated late into the night until they weary and devoid of good ideas. Some of the councilors left, but a few, like her and Lord Tyrion had remained. The once loud room had quieted down to a few murmurs. She was sitting on one of the chairs close to the fire. Lost in thought at the fear of the unknown future, she had dozed off.

 

She woke up to find that everyone save Jon and Daenerys had gone to bed. Even now, when the dawn was almost here, they were still awake. Thinking, working, mapping out plans for the safety of the living.

 

Daenerys yawned that moment and closed her eyes.

 

"You should get some rest. You look dead on your feet," Jon chided with a smile on his face.

 

She cast a look of annoyance his way and bent down to write something on a piece of paper.

 

A pause.

 

"Here. Drink this," Jon said holding a glass of wine in front of the queen

 

She obliged and took it all in one gulp. Jon chuckled at that, but Daenerys paid him no mind. She rubbed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

 

"If you had your way, you would send me away for my safety."

"I would never ask you not to be who you are,..."

 

"But?"

 

"..., but aye, I would if I could. I _am_ sorry about the dragon. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Now he has a dragon."

 

Sansa knew the guilt still ate at him, but she didn't know to what extent until he spoke at that moment. When word had gotten to them that the Night King had raised a dragon, she had sent Arya to deliver the scroll to Jon so that he could tell the Queen. When they had called everyone to the Great Hall to inform them, she saw the anger on both their faces and something more beneath the surface. Pain on Daenerys'. Guilt on Jon's.

 

"You're not to blame," she soothed.

 

Jon nodded, but even from her seat, Sansa could see that he didn't believe that.

 

"Jon," Daenerys called to him.

 

"I will kill him," steel coating his every word as he vowed to himself and to her.

 

Daenerys closed the distance between them and brought his head down to hers until their foreheads touched.

 

"You're not to blame," she said again. This time more forcefully as she shook her head to lend power to her rejection of his self-flagellation, their noses touching with every shake of her head.

 

Jon closed his eyes and the Queen's head stilled. They stayed like that for a few moments until their breathing became heavy.

 

Lust, perhaps? Sansa didn't know. She had heard of the pleasures that came with sharing one's body with a lover, but her experience made the idea of bedding repulsive. She could still feel Ramsay's hands in places that...

 

She shook herself out of the terrifying memories.

 

She sighed inwardly. She didn't think that she would ever have this type of trust that they had developed. She might get married one day, but it would be to further the cause of her House. She would marry for duty, but not at the expense of her sanity or safety. Never again.

 

She wanted to stand up and leave in case they decided to act on their lust, but thankfully, the drew apart and continued on as they were before. She saw them agree and disagree on the best way to carry about the fight. Jon did most of the talking because he had more experience battling on the ground. Sometimes, Daenerys would stare longer than was normal. A look in her eyes that Sansa couldn't quite interpret.

 

"...and the Unsullied will march in from the woods right here."

 

"Hmm?"

 

Jon looked at the Queen for a moment and then stood up abruptly. He held his hand out and she looked at it quizzically.

 

"We should rest, Your Grace," he said smiling.

 

At her weak protest, Jon took her hand and drew her to her full height. Sansa could see her take in Jon warmly and tiredly. Resigned, she allowed him lead her out of the solar.

 

Sansa sat upright after they shut the door and stretched her arms. There were so many things to do today. She had to administer the affairs of the entire castle and all within its jurisdiction. She would take care of the lesser matters and do whatever she could to ease Jon and Daenerys of their shared burden.

 

Stories her father had told them as children began to needle their way into her thoughts just then. She missed him. He had served King Robert faithfully and despite his mistakes later, he had served the Stark name just as well. She closed her eyes again to try and remember his face, but it was already fading from memory.

 

Were he here, he would have been proud of all his children. He would have been wary of Jon being the Dragon Queen's lover. Would he have accepted her if he had gotten to know her? Sansa, thought so. Daenerys was good for Jon. There was an assertiveness and light-heartedness about Jon whenever he was around the Queen since he had returned from Dragonstone.

 

As little as she was, she had intimidated the Northern lords. Her fiery personality and icy demeanor made them watch their words around her. Sansa wondered what Lord Glover would say if he ever saw the way the Queen stared at Jon whenever they were within the safety of those that they trusted.

 

## "Your heart must be strong, your brain sharp and your mind tough to be sane in the journey of greatness. Many good and bad things will show up but you must devour them like a wolf and keep running faster."

 

She had overhead her father tell that to Robb many years ago. He was right. Greatness came with a hard price. For Jon and Daenerys to win this, she feared that the cost might end up being their lives.

 

She shutdown the sense of foreboding and left the solar to begin her day.


End file.
